Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

172 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMILAR AIRCRAFT
mum and may "trap" the angles fighter inside its min-range firing requirements.
If the bogey's energy can be bled sufficiently in this manner to deny
it any vertical potential, a spiraling pitch-back (Figure 3-10) may result in a
shot opportunity for the energy fighter. This may be the only viable tactic
against a dogfight-capable radar missile, but it is still exceedingly dangerous.
A competent pilot in a low-wing-loaded fighter usually can preserve
enough vertical potential to get his nose up for the shot before the energy
fighter can complete its pitch-back.
Coming over the top of the vertical pitch-back, the pilot of the energy
fighter should attempt to fire at his first opportunity and then assume lag
pursuit. Continuing in pure pursuit while diving, such as when the attacker
is pressing for a better shot as min-range is approached, may result
in an overshoot, with dire consequences. If the bogey is equipped with a
heat-seeking all-aspect weapon, skillful use of the sun may allow multiple
pitch-backs and diving attacks. Ordinarily, however, a second pitch-back
after a lag-pursuit maneuver will be commenced with considerable lateral
separation, possibly allowing the bogey to reach firing parameters more
easily. If the energy fighter survives one pitch-back in this scenario, the
pilot should probably consider himself fortunate and follow his attack
with a nose-to-tail extension and disengagement as shown in Figure 3-12.
In this very difficult scenario, probably the best tactic for the high-wingloaded
fighter is to shoot first, head-on, before the first pass, and exit the
fight regardless of the results of the shot. An even better alternative, when
possible, is to sneak up on the enemy and shoot him in the back—unless
points would be deducted for sportsmanship!
Multiple- Weapons Considers, tions
As discussed in the last chapter, modern fighters often carry a combination
of air-to-air weapons, generally guns together with either RQ or all-aspect
missiles. This offers the pilot some choice as to which weapons envelope
he should attempt to satisfy first.
In the case of the low-wing-loaded fighter, the addition of the RQ
missile to his arsenal has little effect on the pilot's tactics in the sterile
one-versus-one environment, except to make his task somewhat easier.
He should still consider the gun to be his primary weapon, but, as explained
in the RQ-missile-angles-fight section of this chapter, the missile
serves to deny the high-T/W bogey the option of disengaging at will. The
missile also allows the angles fighter pilot to threaten his high-T/W opponent
more seriously from a position of greater energy disadvantage and
offers a more potent offense against the bogey's energy tactics. The gun and
the rear-quarter AAM are very complementary weapons systems for the
low-wing-loaded fighter.
For the high-wing-loaded fighter, however, this is not nearly so true. As
previously explained, such a fighter has little chance of achieving a RQ
missile envelope against a low-wing-loaded opponent who can maintain
visual contact. In general, this scenario offers the high-T/W fighter two
options. The high-risk option is to employ guns tactics in an effort to
achieve a snapshot. More attention must be paid to sun position and